The Life of A Hood
by cheshire-writer
Summary: Curly has never had it easy. Going back and forth from the correction center and dealing with the typical life he's living can be rough. Here's one day that didn't go right. No pairing mild violence and swearing. One-Shot


**A/N: Here's a look into one of Curly's days. The Story takes place after The Outsiders but before That was Then This is now.**

**There's mild swearing and violence so press the back button if you are sesitive to such content.**

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The sun shone brightly over the horizon causing the buildings to gleam gold. The weather was perfect. Birds sung a harmonious song. Everything looked beautiful and new. And I just knew that today was going to be rough.

I've thought like that since I was really little. My family isn't rich so we always dealt with the short end of the stick. I'm not even sure you could call us a family anymore. My older brother Tim has his own gang and there's no chance he'll give that up. My younger sister was always out with her friends. Our dad was always working so he hardly saw him. Mom was only around when she had to be. I was usually in the Juvenile Correction Center. Like anyone learned anything about obeying the law there. In fact I learned how to hot wire from an old cell mate.

"Curly Shepard get your lazy butt down here," Tim yelled up the stairs to my room. "Breakfast is getting cold!"

"I'll be there in a minute!" I yelled back.

I stumbled out of bed like a drunk. A dull thud rang through my ears as I hit my head on the head board. I swore loudly and stomped down the stairs to the breakfast table. My little sister Angela glared at me.

"Are you going to walk around in your underwear _all _day?" She snarled.

"Oh yeah I'm going to the store then the movies and I just might visit a friend in the hospital, got a problem with it?"

She gave a snort, rolled her eyes and left. Tim set a plate of eggs in front of me and started shoveling it in my mouth. A guy named Andrew Thurston had challenged me to a fight the other day and I wasn't going to skip out. He may have been older than me but there would be no weapons so there was no real danger.

"Hey kid," Tim said while sitting across from me "I heard you're going to fight that Thurston brat."

"Yeah he started talking big and figures he can beat me, I figure some one needs to teach him a lesson."

"Just don't make a trip in the ambulance."

"Man there ain't gonna to be weapons I-"

"How do you know he won't fight dirty?"

"Uh, I don't but come on I can take him."

"Sure Curl don't get yourself killed." He growled before leaving me to eat.

Tim may seem mean to most people but it's his way of worrying about people. He's got it pretty rough. When I say my brother owns a gang people get the image that he's a dumb hood who gets his kicks by jumping people and vandalizing buildings. But that wasn't Tim. He was smart and knew how the world worked. You don't gain that with academics.

I finished breakfast and dressed in my usual attire of jeans, t-shirt and old jean jacket. Basically what everyone wore in this neighborhood. I completed my out fit by stuffing my feet into a pair of ratty looking sneakers and combed my fingers through my black hair.

I passed Angela on my way out the door. She started grouching at me for something and I gave her some crude sign language and walked away. The sun reflected off the wet asphalt and into my eyes. It must have rained the night before. I turned off the street and into the alley leading towards the store and stopped in my tracks. Jack and Craig, two of my brothers lackeys were at the end of the alley way. They were the newest addition and personally I didn't like them. Jack had soot black hair and eyes to match. Craig had dirty blonde hair, a brown eye and a thick scar running down the left side of his face. He didn't have a left eye. Craig claimed he lost it from being in a one on one fight with the leader of the Street Tigers but everyone knew the injury was really inflicted from a couple bikers he pissed off when he got too drunk at a bar.

"Hey little Shepard where you headed?" Craig asked with a mocking tone.

"I'm going to the store for a cola and I ain't so little, you're only a couple months older."

"Yeah you're still fifteen and I'm sixteen so shut up."

"Get your head out of your ass Craig you might start seeing things clearly."

I went to walk passed them until Craig slugged me in the gut and I heard Jack laugh. I tasted bile on the back of my tongue as the air rushed out of my lungs and I was forced to clench my teeth and hold my ribs to prevent throwing up.

"You watch your mouth around us or it ain't gonna be pretty got it brat?" Craig spoke with a tone that made his threat clear.

They left after that with the threat hanging thick in the air. Some of Andrews's friends were in the store. I was able to find out what time the fight would be held. After sunset at the meadow that was out of town half way to the suburbs. The cops didn't patrol there which was great for combat but it was out of walking distance. I'd have to out something.

I glanced at the stores clock and read that it was noon. My feet made a soft padding noise as I walked around town. After awhile of walking my throat began to feel like a desert. I coughed at the gritty dryness that settled on my tongue. My stomach began to ache and I blamed it on the punch Craig gave me earlier. Maybe I could nap it off for a couple hours before the fight started.

It only took me a couple minutes to get back home and by then the house was already rowdy. I thought Tim's gang must be over and when I opened the door I saw I was right. They were all packed around the small kitchen table smoking, drinking and playing poker. They were only allowed to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. Get high on anything else and you're limping out the door with scars.

"Ha! I win again!" Tim laughed throwing his cards onto the table with the others digging deeper in their pockets.

I sighed and slipped off my shoes before walking to my room. The bedding was cool and soft. Someone did my laundry while I was gone. My eyes drifted to the glowing red numbers on the clock. I only had a few hours until the fight. The minutes rolled by and my head-ache only got worse. The pounding in my ears never stopped. I heard the door open and I pretended to be asleep. I felt a tap on my shoulder but I wouldn't give.

"Come on kid I know you're faking it." Tim said this time shaking me a bit.

I cracked an eye open and grinned at him. Tim gave me an un-amused look before sitting beside me.

"Did you eat or drink anything besides breakfast?" He asked in monotone.

"No I'm feeling sick." He glared.

"Curly that's the reason you're feeling sick, go eat something and drink some water or you are not going to the fight."

"Aw come on I've seen you in fights looking way worse than I do!"

"I don't care, you eat and take some Aspirin if you have to, I'll give you a ride out there."

"Alright have it you're way, but if you start telling me how to breathe we're gonna have problems." I replied with a smirk.

Tim rolled his eyes and gave me a smirk in return before ruffling my hair and leaving the room. I brushed my fingers through my hair to fix it and walked to the kitchen for a sandwich. The gang had moved to the living room to watch TV. I finished and took shower and by that time I had to leave. Tim was already waiting in the car when I stepped out the door. I got into shot gun and waited for Tim to start the car. Then I saw why. Jack and Craig stumbled out the door and I glared at Tim. He knew I didn't like them.

"Curly they're new; they need to learn some how these things work." He said trying to get me to understand but I ignored him.

The other two piled into the back and Tim pulled out of the drive way. It was a twenty minute drive and a ten minute hike over a steep hill to get to the site. A bonfire was lit at the far side of the field eliminating the night. A hoard of about thirty people were all crowded around a few coolers. I gulped suddenly feeling nervous. The four of us walked towards Andrew who was standing in the ring. The ring was basically a large circle of dirt surrounded with cinder blocks right beside the bonfire. Andrew was seventeen with a medium build, tanned skin and curly hair. Andrew was never that bright either. He once broke his nose by falling off a park bench.

"So Shepard you decided to show up, Tim wouldn't let you stay at home?" Andrew mocked with his small group of friends laughing.

"If you don't shut up right now Thurston I'll put you in the hospital." I spat while stomping forward.

I felt Tim's hand on my shoulder and backed down a little. The fight would only be a few minutes away and I had to wait. I hated waiting when I was pumped. The big group of people made a circle around the ring waiting for the show to start. Tim cleared his throat signaling Craig and Jack to leave. Andrews men followed and Tim announced the rules.

"Only Andrew and Curly are fighting tonight, the fight is to be kept clean, no weapons, they will have five minutes to beat each other senseless, a winner will be determined by the injuries inflicted on the opponent, a knock out is an instant win, do not leave the ring or push the other out, and don't kill each other no one here wants to clean it up!" The crowd cheered and Tim took my jacket so it wouldn't get dirty.

I took one last look around the ring. A couple small gangs from out of town had come to watch. We didn't have many big gang organizations around here just a few groups who stuck together. It was then I realized why Andrew called the fight. He needed the publicity. He was trying to make a name for himself. Like most had tried and failed. He wanted people to think he was tough.

"Three!"

The crowd started counting down with Andrew and I standing at either ends of the ring.

"Two!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, cracked my knuckles and took my stance.

"One!"

I took off running forward with Andrew doing the same thing. We met in the middle where I caught him in a foot ball tackle. We were both knocked to the ground with me on top. Andrew threw a punch at my head but I caught while giving him a few good punches with my other hand. We rolled punching and kicking earning cuts and bruises for our efforts. I punched Andrew a couple more times but then he caught me in the ribs and I doubled over. Andrew stood and aimed to kick me in the ribs but rolled out of the standing to face him. Blood was running out Andrews nose. My teeth had cut the inside of my cheek when he punched me in the head. I spat the blood on the ground and we were at it again. I punched right and left but then he picked up a rock and hit me in the head and dizziness over whelmed me. I took a step back with every hit he delivered. My vision was swimming and my ankle hit something nearly toppling me over. I blinked several times my vision clearing slightly. I was at the edge of the ring everything was bright and Andrew was charging right at me. Andrew hit me in the chest with shoulder knocking me off my feet. A soon as I landed searing pain engulfed my back. Nothing in my life could compare to the pain of being burned alive. A scream ripped through my throat and my mind went blank. I was up and beating Andrew into the dirt in an instant. Police sirens rang in my ears and someone knocked me off Andrew to smother the flames on my cotton T-shirt. My red skin stung and bled in splotches across my back. I couldn't move and I could barely hear Tim who was trying to help.

"Come one Curly you need to get up you're gonna go to Reformatory if you don't," I shook my head and He tried to lift me. "Curly I can't run while carrying your fat ass."

"T-then go with out me." I said my voice shaking "And I ain't fat!" I added.

"No Curly seriously get up we gotta go"

"I-I can't if you get caught you go to jail I'll see ya in a couple months it's no big deal." I had been to the correction center before and we could hear the cops trudging down the hill.

"A-alright kid just try and stay safe, I'll visit ya often." Tim grumbled, obviously hating the situation

"Sounds good I'll see ya there." I said closing my eyes.

"Yeah see ya." Then he had to take off.

Tim was fast, he could out run them and then circle back to the car with out the cops knowing. Andrew was face down in the dirt and I knew he was un-conscious. I looked up at the night sky and sighed. I really didn't want to go back. One of the cops stopped to check what condition I was in and radioed for an ambulance. At least this cop wasn't like some I've met. Some hated kids like me and would 'accidently' kick me in the ribs. The paramedics came and the cop stayed in the ambulance with me. He was probably new. He'd find out that things didn't look to good in this town. Even if it looked beautiful in the morning the days were still rough.

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**A/N: So what did you think? Are they in character, is their typos? Or did you like it? Let me know and review!**


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